


fancy meeting you here

by Sumi



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:33:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27784543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sumi/pseuds/Sumi
Summary: Jane and Garrus meet for the first time in Omega. Somehow, things still fall where they are supposed too.
Relationships: Female Shepard & Garrus Vakarian, Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15
Collections: Heart Attack Exchange 2020





	fancy meeting you here

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Corina (CorinaLannister)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorinaLannister/gifts).



When Jane opened her eyes and found herself surrounded by nothing but white walls, briefly she wondered if she was dead and this was some twisted version of hell. The distant, muffled voice in the background didn’t help in disproving Jane’s theory. It isn’t until she heard gunshots that Jane realized this is very real.

She wanted to think she was dreaming, but the sounds didn't go away. The voice only became more persistent, practically shouting at Jane to get out of the bed.

None of it made any sense because the last Jane remembered she was hauling Joker from the seat of the cockpit and into an escape pod before her suit had been breached by some of the debris. However, the soldier in Jane knew an order when she heard one. Ten Years in the Alliance had taught her to jump to command whenever a dire order was given to her.

She pulled out all the tubes and other medical equipment attached to her body in a matter of seconds. Jane forced herself to work through the pain and threw on the first set of clothes she found. It was off some dead worker, but Jane barely batted an eyelash. It wasn’t like they needed to use it, anyway.

A weapon is the next thing Jane grabbed. The voice had clarified that she was going to need one on hand. Well, the voice and the distant sound of gunshots getting closer and closer to Jane.

Despite her exhaustion and confusion, Jane fell into an easy pattern. She knew how to fight and do what she had to do to get through a mission. This one wasn’t clear, but in order to get answers Jane had to survive. That damned voice better have answers too or she was going to get trigger happy.

It wasn’t until Jane ran into Jacob that she finally got some answers to her many questions. Jane got the rest of them from Miranda and the longer she talked the more Jane seethed inside. How fucking dare Cerberus treat her like some damned science project. She knew it shouldn’t surprise her because given what Jane knew of Cerberus, they would resort to such tactics to achieve their goal.

Being on the new Normandy was what cinched it for Jane. Even with Joker in the cockpit, it wasn’t the same. The longer she remained on the ship, the more it felt like she was back on the original Normandy, watching it get destroyed. It soon became too much, leaving Jane with little choice but to flee in a shuttle as everyone slept

She hesitated just before taking off, wondering if running really was the right thing to do. Jane hated leaving Joker behind after just reuniting with him. They hadn't talked about what happened two years ago, but Jane could see the guilt written all over his face whenever they spoke. However, despite Jane’s reservations, she went through with it. Staying on this ship just wasn’t going to work.

The closest place to land the shuttle was on Omega. Jane had never been, but she heard the rumors. She knew she could handle herself there. The public hadn’t given her the name Butcher of Torfan for nothing.

Of course, she didn’t relish in the name and never had. Jane did what she had to do back on Torfan in order to save herself and her squad. Jane thought the public could go fuck itself. Honestly, they still could… along with the entirety of the Council and Udina.

It didn’t take Jane very long to gain her bearings on Omega. The first night there, she found a cheap room for rent and crashed the second her head hit the thin and dusty pillow. If Jane ever saw the new crew of the Normandy again, she’d have to thank them for leaving some of those credits lying around. Stealing them was a means to an end for Jane.

When Jane woke up, she felt groggy. She almost wasn’t sure where she was, but it eventually came back to her. The attack, her suit breach, and finally waking up on that Cerberus station after two fucking years.

It still sickened Jane that so much time had passed because she’d missed so much. Her crew remained scattered across the galaxy, leaving Jane to wonder if she’d ever see any of them again — except for Tali and Joker, of course.

Why the Illusive Man thought she would go along with his plan was beyond Jane’s understanding. Perhaps he thought she’d be willing to throw away her principles and work with Cerberus in order to stop the Reapers. Jane refused to let Reapers win, but there had to be another way then working with that bastard and the rest of Cerberus .

She’s never been one to run from battle or any difficulty that came up in her life. When Mindoir got attacked, Jane had no choice but to hide in the shadows as the Batarians murdered her family and friends and destroyed her home. Jane vowed to never cower in fear after that.

Until now, Jane had stuck to that. The Illusive man made Jane go against her own personal philosophy, which caused Jane to hate him even more. She shouldn’t have run, but facing such a threat after being in an almost dead state for two years was more than Jane could handle.

Jane knew if she was going to survive on Omega, she had to stop letting these thoughts cripple her. The day after arriving, Jane went out and got herself some work. There was plenty of work for a former soldier — most involving some mercenary work. She had no qualms about working as a hired hand. Credits were credits, and if Jane was going to survive here, she needed them fast.

The first few jobs were simple enough. Jane had to threaten a few people and beat up one. It barely left a scratch on her newly cybernetic enhanced body. Cerberus had really had put quite a lot of funds into rebuilding her, which meant that they would search for Jane soon enough. They weren’t going to just let their investment go without a fight.

Jane kept her ears out, but after a week she had failed to hear or see anything from Cerberus or the Illusive man. It didn’t help ease any of Jane’s worries. Actually, it had the opposite effect. She felt herself growing more uneasy with every day that passed, wondering when Miranda or Jacob might show up to try to force her back. Try was the key word. Jane would not go back without a fucking fight.

A sudden job got Jane’s mind off all thoughts of Cerberus. She made some quick credits and intended to go to her temporary home for the night. Given her life, it should’ve been obvious that it wouldn’t be that easy and it wasn’t.

Someone suddenly ‘bumped’ into Jane, intending to steal her credit chits. Jane reacted quickly, grabbing the man’s arm and twisting it behind him. She slammed him up against the wall, tightening her grip a little in order to elicit a groan of pain from him.

“So here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to leave me the fuck alone and spread the word.” Jane hissed. “Understand?”

He grunted. “Fine, you crazy bitch!”

From the sound of it, he clearly regretted trying to steal from her.

Jane rolled her eyes and eventually let the guy go. He scrambled away, giving her a frightened look as he vanished from her sight. It had been a long time since Jane had to fend off a thief from taking her hard earned credits. Last time she was in such a position, she was sixteen and living off the streets on Earth just after running away from her foster home. Better living on the streets than with those charity obsessed people wanting to take in a survivor from Mindior.

She quickly pushed those thoughts out of her mind, not wanting to relieve her early years. Jane continued on her path, but stopped once she realized her little display had gotten her quite the audience.

“Well fuck,” Jane muttered as she looked over them all.

The point of hiding on Omega was to stay hidden, but apparently she couldn’t help herself. Jane narrowed her eyes, gazing out upon the crowd with obvious annoyance and disdain. Most shuffled away except for two Turians.

She wasn’t an expert of Turian expressions, but the one with the blue armor looked almost impressed, while the other appeared to be uncomfortable, wishing he were anywhere else.

“Take a picture. It lasts longer,” Jane said with a roll of her eyes.

The interested looking one blinked, letting out a chuckle. “Now that’s one human saying I understand.”

Jane rolled her eyes, trying her best to squash the feeling of amusement growing inside her. “Still doesn’t explain why you were watching me so intently.”

“The way you fight,” he explained. “You’re clearly military. I’m thinking N7?”

It shouldn’t have surprised Jane that a Turian would recognize the style of combat she used. Turians had the strongest military in the galaxy and had worked closely with humans since the end of the First Contact war. However, it didn’t bode well for Jane, who was continually failing at remaining anonymous.

She didn’t answer, but her silence probably gave him the confirmation she needed. “Why are you so interested in my combat skills, anyway?”

“Have you heard of Archangel?” he asked, continuing after Jane nodded. “Well, I’m always looking to expand the team and I think you’d be perfect.”

That had not been what Jane was expecting at all. She lifted a brow, considering his offer. Archangel and the team he assembled had done some monumental work here, there was no doubt about that. Omega was becoming less infected with crime and becoming a place you could live rather than just survive on — in a manner of speaking.

Jane finally let out the laugh she had been holding back. “Takes some balls the size of a Krogan to just up and introduce yourself like that.”

“That… doesn’t answer my question,” he pointed out with another chuckle. “I will take the compliment, though.”

Jane felt tempted to take him up on his offer. The guilt she had at just abandoning the galaxy weighed heavily on Jane’s shoulders. She figured that while she was hiding out on Omega, she may as well try to make this place more habitable for everyone living here… until the Reapers destroyed everything, that is.

“Why the hell not? I’ve got nothing to lose,” Jane said before walking up to the Turian in the blue armor. “Name’s Jane Williams.”

There was no way in hell Jane was dropping her last name. Problem was, she never was good with coming up with aliases on the spot. If this ever got back to Ashley Williams, Jane was sure she’d never hear the end of it.

His mandibles fluttered in amusement. “Garrus Vakarian.”

The surname sounded familiar, but Jane was quick to brush it off. Either she’d remember it in time or it was an unimportant fact her brain refused to recall.

In the coming days, Jane got to know a little more about this team Garrus had set up with the other Turian, Sidonus. They were pretty well established and from what Jane could tell, Garrus was an excellent leader — firm, loyal, and caring. Commanding a team wasn’t easy. If something happened to them, you felt personally responsible as their leader.

Jane felt that way about her team back on Torfan. The fight with the Batarians had been nasty, leaving only Jane and a handful of people with no permanent injuries. However, sometimes tough calls had to happen — like with the one Jane had to make with Ashley and Kaidan. Not being able to save everyone was one of the shitty parts of commanding a squad.

Helping clean up Omega gave Jane a way to keep her mind off the Illusive man and Cerberus. She knew they would track her down, eventually. Hell, they might’ve even put a fucking tracking chip in her. They spent all those credits to put her body back together, so why not install a tracking chip as well? Jane sure as fuck wouldn’t put it past them.

So far during her time in Omega, no one had recognized Jane. She had been dead for two years, so this wasn’t that shocking. The galaxy moved on after Saren’s attack, forgetting what Commander Shepard and the crew of the Normandy. Probably a good thing if Jane wanted to continue to seek anonymity in Omega.

Still, Jane kept looking over her shoulder. It drew the attention of Archangel and his team. How could it not? Jane wasn’t exactly subtle about it and wasn’t bothering to be. Nearly everyone in Omega was running from something.

Despite her worries, it was nice to be part of a team again. Jane felt at ease around the group — to a certain extent. She held a lot of herself back, like her name and true identity.

Usually after a successful job, the group would go out drinking. Jane joined them on the latest job, having helped them take out a well-known drug smuggler. With the man gone, Omega would be a little safer.

The drinks didn’t have that much of an effect on Jane. She had once had a Ryncol drinking contest with Wrex on the first Normandy and lived to tell the tale. Whatever liquor Sidonus had grabbed was strong enough to give Jane a mild buzz. Seemed to have a stronger effect on some other members of the group.

This only meant one thing. They clearly had never had a Krogan drinking buddy. Jane wouldn’t recommend them for everyone, but damned Jane missed Wrex. He was a good man and someone she would always consider a brother from another species.

As the night dragged on, the group grew smaller and smaller. Soon it was just Garrus and Jane, sitting on opposite sides of the table with a half empty drink in front of them.

“Something on your mind, Vakarian?” Jane asked when she noticed he kept looking at her with what she assumed was a curious expression. Turnian facial expressions continued to confuse the hell out of Jane. They probably felt the same way about humans and their many, many emotions.

He’d looked at her like this a couple times as of late. She wasn’t sure what to make of it. It was easy to ignore at first, but she felt differently when it was just the two of them.

“I’ve been wondering why you looked so familiar since we met,” he explained casually and matter-of-factly.

Jane frowned. “Did you finally figure it out, big guy?”

He shifted in his seat. “It depends. Will it get me a blaster to the head?”

“Might as well take a chance. If it ends with you still breathing, then you know you didn’t overstep your bounds.”

She knew what he was going to say, but wanted to let him say it if he dared. Garrus went through all the trouble of figuring it out, so might as well let him reap the benefits.

“It’s Commander Shepard, right?” he asked, voice low enough so no one else could hear them.

Jane sighed. “I knew someone would figure it out, eventually.”

“Well, Shepard, you have the most recognizable face in the galaxy,” Garrus pointed out with a light chuckle. “Also, pretty sure you’re supposed to be dead.”

At this Jane had to snort. “I was only mostly dead. Thanks to Cerberus.”

Garrus blinked. “Given what I know about them, that explains it.”

There was danger in admitting her true identity, but it was nice to not hide who she was for once. Garrus was still practically a stranger, but Jane felt some kinship with him. A mutual feeling, she hoped.

“I don’t think it needs to be mentioned, but let’s keep my actual identity between us,” Jane said after taking a large swig of her drink. “Cerberus is looking for me and wants to make good on their investment while I just want them to fuck off and leave me alone.”

He laughed. “Understood, Commander.”

She gave him a look, but there was only a half-hearted attempt at it.

The two continued to drink and talk for another hour. In doing so, Jane finally discovered why the name Vakarian sounded so familiar. Garrus’s father was Castis Vakarian, a former C-sec officer.

During Jane’s time on the Citadel, she had a few run-ins with him. He seemed like a strict man, making Jane wonder how he felt with Garrus’s current profession. Jane decided not to inquire about that. They could discuss that another time.

By the time Jane arrived back in her small room, she felt ready to go to sleep. She crawled into bed, not even bothering to get under the covers. Her dreams were peaceful for once and not haunted by the fear of drifting endlessly through space.

Jane relished in it, even relaxing some, but she still slept with one eye open. Things had been quiet on the Cerberus front. They had to have narrowed down where she may have fled to by now. There were only so many options, and if Commander Shepard wanted to remain hidden, she wouldn’t go to any old place. She’d go to a place where she could fade into the background — theoretically.

When Garrus and the team needed the help, Jane was more than glad to give it. She accompanied them on more than a few missions, beginning to feel more at ease with the group. They were good people, all of them wanting to end crime in Omega, one way or another.

Some days Jane wasn’t sure what her motives were. Whether it was to assuage her guilt or to make this damned place habitable didn’t really matter, anyway. She could handle herself in a battle, and Garrus needed as much man-power as he could get.

While the crime lowered on Omega, Jane heard about whispers from the gangs that remained. They weren’t happy with Archangel and his group. So far none of them had successfully made so much as a dent against Garrus and the rest of his people.

Jane kept her ear out in case she needed to warn Garrus of any incoming threats. She knew he could handle himself — that much was clear to Jane in their short time working together. However, a little warning hurt no one.

Fuck knows the galaxy could’ve used a better one with the Reapers. The Protheans had tried, but the beam nearly killed her. Even to this day Jane wasn’t entirely sure what they were trying to get at.

Eventually Jane shared a drink with Garrus again. It was a relaxed atmosphere with the rest of the team lingering either outside of the bar or a few tables over.

“So Garrus, can I ask you a personal question?” Jane asked, feeling tipsy enough to ask it.

“Depends on how personal we’re talking, Shepard,” Garrus teased, voice lowering when he referred to her by her real surname.

Jane rolled her eyes. “Not that personal, Vakarian. We’ve only known each other a few weeks at this point.”

This drew some laughter from Garrus. “I never thought of you as the reserved type.”

She had been told she could be quite the asshole who needed to reign in her bluntness. Jane never shied away from speaking her mind. So far, Garrus didn’t seem to mind. Neither did the rest of his team.

“Believe me, I’m not,” Jane muttered, deciding to jump the gun and ask her question. “I was wondering why you left C-sec and came to Omega.”

Garrus sighed. “When I was in C-sec, I found myself hampered by red tape at every turn. It eventually became too much, and I went somewhere where I could make a difference.”

Jane nodded in understanding. Before becoming a Spectre, she had the same problems. If it hadn’t been for her Spectre status, Jane probably never would’ve been able to stop Saren.

“What was the last straw?”

“Saren,” Garrus explained, tone flat. “They put me in charge of the investigation, but no one would give me answers.”

Jane wrinkled her nose at the memory of Saren

“I can tell you that your suspicions were completely on point.”

His mandibles fluttered suddenly, drawing Jane’s attention. “I went looking for you after I heard about your own investigations on Saren, but by then you had already left the Citadel.”

Jane scoffed. “Well shit Garrus, I’ve seen how good of a shot you are.. You sure would’ve been a pleasant addition to the team.”

“You’re almost as good a shot as I am, Shepard,” Garrus said, voice clearly having a teasing tone to it.

“Yeah, yeah, keep on thinking that Vakarian. You haven’t yet seen how good of a shot I can be.”

A comfortable silence fell between them until Garrus shifted in his seat, something else obviously on his mind. She gave him a look, trying to get Garrus to just blurt it out. However, after another minute of watching him squirm, Garrus failed to say a thing.

“Garrus?”

“Hm?”

“Spit it out already,” she muttered. “I can tell you want to say something.”

Garrus nodded, hesitating a second before speaking. “A few months after I left, I received a message from my father. He said I had been right about Saren and… that the rumor of the Reapers were true. Is it?”

Jane swallowed. “Before I answer that, I’m going to need another two drinks.”

Two drinks later, Jane explained everything she knew about the Reapers and their threat. She even told Garrus of the reason Cerberus had brought her back. Throughout it all, Garrus remained stoic. He seemed to take it all in stride, which was more than Jane could’ve expected because learning your world would end was never easy.

When Jane had explained everything she knew, Garrus appeared satisfied. They had a few more drinks before parting for the night. Jane usually had a restful sleep after drinking, but this night was an exception. Her mind kept drifting back to the fight with Saren and the subsequent refusal of the Council to accept the truth.

It had been two years since then. Jane doubted they had taken her warnings seriously. Most likely they kept pretending civilization as they knew it wasn’t ending. It frustrated Jane so much that she ended up being unable to sleep throughout the night.

In the morning Jane felt exhausted, pissed off, and just sick of fighting. Whenever Jane felt like this in the past, she’d always find Anderson. He always knew what to say to her in times like this. What a shock it would be if Jane up and messaged him out of nowhere after being listed dead for two years. She felt tempted, but didn’t in case Miranda or the Illusive Man intercepted her message.

David Anderson was the closest thing Jane had to a father figure. She’d grown up with both parents, but had never been close to her father. The man preferred working to spending time with his family and was just a terrible father. However, Jane cared for him and missed him. How could she not? Even if he had been shitty at parenting, he still was her father.

Jane reached out to Garrus that morning to see if he needed any help. He sent her a quick message, saying they had already left on a sudden mission, but they appreciated it. She couldn’t help and grin when Garrus sent a second message telling her he’d dedicate some of his shots to her. The Turian sure knew how to flatter a girl.

Satisfied that she wouldn’t be assisting Garrus and his team, Jane did some of her own work cleaning up Omega. There were a couple merchants here Jane had been keeping her eye on. It wasn’t the black market selling she had a problem with, but they were funding some drugs constantly being funneled into Omega.

Most of them knew Jane’s face by now. When she dropped by, they stiffened and appeared nervous — the exact way Jane wanted them to feel. It meant they were still heeding her warnings. Well, that and the fact that they knew Jane (or Butcher as she had been going by) was affiliated with Archangel and his group.

A few hours later, Miranda and Jacob finally caught up to her. She spotted them first and could do nothing but sigh and sit in plain view. When Jane caught Miranda’s eye, she gave her a small smile along with a wave.

“Shepard,” Miranda greeted once she and Jacob were within speaking distance. “You realize how many lives you’ve put in jeopardy with your hastey actions, don’t you?”

Jacob frowned. “Miranda, give the Commander some slack. We threw her into battle just after a two-year coma.”

She snorted. “See Miranda, you and the Illusive man should listen to Jacob more often. He makes more sense than the two of you put together.”

“We are not here to discuss the morality of our actions, Shepard,” Miranda snapped.

It was Miranda’s tone that caused Jane to stand up and get toe to toe with Miranda.

“Then why are you here Ms. Perfect?”

Miranda didn’t even flinch, which Jane found herself rather impressed with. It wasn’t often her intimidation didn’t work.

“To recover you and look into some additions to the team.”

“And if I refuse?” Jane couldn’t help but counter.

“Then live with the fact that you have doomed humanity.”

Jacob shook his head. “Look Shepard, we’ll be here for a day or two so just consider our order. In the meantime, Miranda and I need to go look for Mordin Solus and this Archangel everyone keeps talking about.”

It seemed like fate had a sick sense of humor because at that moment Jane received a message on her omni-tool. She had gained this device on Omega, so there were only a handful of people that could have even been contacting Jane.

_ J, _

_ Sidonis betrayed us. Everyone else is dead. It’s not looking good — they’re closing in on me. _

_ -G _

Jane looked away from her omni-tool and watched Jacob and Miranda walk away. She held back a growl before quickly cutting in front of them in order to force them to stop in their tracks.

“You said you're looking for Archangel. Good news is he’s become a good friend of mine. Bad news is he’s about to get killed,” Jane explained. “Help me help him and I’ll go with you, with a fuss.”

Miranda smiled softly. “It’s a deal, Commander.”

Jane was selling out her soul to Cerberus, but Garrus needed help.

_ G _

_ I’m on my way. Hold on, big guy. _

_ \- J _

She waited but received no response from Garrus. It left Jane with an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. Garrus was a great shot. More than great, actually. He was fucking outstanding, and there was no way these assholes would best him.

With the help of EDI, Jane could discover just exactly what Garrus was facing. There was little time to come up with a plan, so they had to come up with something on the spot. Jane, Miranda, and Jacob posed as mercenaries looking for a job. It gave them a chance to get to Garrus before the others did.

Before heading into the fray, Jane dismantled one of the Atlas’s the gangs had at their disposal. It proved to be a good idea on her part because it didn’t take long for everyone to figure out the three of them were not on their side.

The Atlas malfunctioning gave Jane, Jacob, and Miranda the chance to get to Garrus, who seemed surprised, but grateful to see her.

“You shot me,” Jane accused once to breathe and gather their bearings.

Garrus gave a weak chuckle. “Jane, you know if I wanted to cause damage I would have.”

“It still stung.”

“You’ll live,” he teased, eyes narrowing when he finally turned his attention to Miranda and Jacob. “Who are your new friends?”

Jane huffed. “Meet Jacob and Miranda. They’re with Cerberus, but they are here to help Garrus.”

She knew he probably had questions and wanted to know how and why Jane had secured their help. However, given the more pressing matters at hand, Garrus seemed pretty willing to let it drop for now.

For a moment things seemed to go their way. Then Garrus literally took a rocket to the face, causing Jane to freeze. If it wasn’t for Jacob shaking her and telling her to snap out of it, Jane wasn’t sure how long she would’ve just sat there, watching the blood spill out of someone who had become a good friend in the past few weeks.

When they were finally in the clear, Jane rushed over to Garrus to survey the damage. The expressions on Jacob and Miranda looked grim, but she refused to accept that.

“Do whatever you have to save him and I’ll help without a fuss,” Jane said, voice cracking. “I give you my word.”

Being back on the new Normandy after all those weeks away hadn’t made Jane homesick for it. She felt caged in, wanting to run for a second time, but she couldn’t. Not after what Jane had agreed to in exchange for Miranda helping Garrus.

Karin eventually ordered Jane away from the medbay, telling her that when she would contact her first thing. Reluctantly, Jane obeyed and wandered towards the cockpit.

“Good to have you back, Commander. You know, again.” Joker said, grinning weakly.

Jane winced. “Sorry for taking off like that, Joker. Just know it had nothing to do with you. All of this shit was too much for me to handle at once.”

“Understood, Commander.”

It was another three hours before Karin called her back to the medbay, Jane nearly collided with three others on her way down there, barely mumbling out a couple apologizes before continuing on her way.

What Jane was not expecting when she finally got to the medbay was Garrus sitting up, awake and alert. Jane swallowed, struggling to contain her emotions because she felt on the verge of the hysterics.

“I… don’t like the way you’re looking at me, Shepard. Do the scars make me look that bad?”

Jane grinned. “Hell Garrus, I suspect you’ve always been ugly. Slap some face paint on there and no one will notice.”

This drew a laugh from Garrus, followed by a grimace. “Damn, don’t make me laugh. My face is hardly holding together as it is,” he said. “Remember Shepard, I will have some nice scars after they heal. I know some women find facial scars very attractive… mind you, most of those women are Krogan.”

She laughed this time, feeling the hysteria vanish. Seeing Garrus take that rocket to the face put things in perspective for her. It had been a long time since Jane connected with someone. Garrus was a good man and similar to her in some ways. No wonder the two of them became such fast friends.

“I’m glad you're okay, Garrus,” Jane said a minute later.

He sighed. “While I appreciate the concern Jane, I’m more concerned about you now that you're back in Cerberus’s clutches.”

“I did what I had to do to get you help. There are no regrets,” Jane explained, crossing her arms over her chest. “You can leave as soon as you feel up to it, Garrus. I’ll have Joker drop you off wherever you want to go.”

The last thing Jane expected from Garrus was for him to shake his head. She lifted a brow, unsure what to make of his response.

“If you’ll have me, I think I’ll stay here awhile. Spirits knows you're going to all the friends you can get on a Cerberus ship.”

There was another thing Jane didn’t expect. She swallowed, giving him a glassy eyed smile.

“I appreciate it, Garrus. If you need anything, let me know.”

Jane decided that was a good time to leave. She wanted to let Garrus rest. While he may have been one tough son of a bitch, the guy still took a rocket to the face. He needed to give his body time to recover.

When Jane returned to her quarters, she took an hour for herself and just took a nap. She eyed her bed, eventually laying on the couch instead. It was better than looking up at the ceiling and seeing the black, empty expanse of space staring back at her.

Jane couldn’t stand that skylight Cerberus had installed and figured it was probably the Illusive Man’s idea of a sick joke. She didn’t know much about him, but it seemed like something he might do.

An hour later Jane was in Miranda’s office, trying to get as much information as she could. In her absence, the crew had investigated some potential dossiers and gotten some help towards the goal in stopping the Collectors. However, it didn’t seem to Jane that they made much headway.

While Garrus was in surgery and then recovery, Jane went with Jacob and Miranda to recruit the scientist Mordin. He was a typical Salarian, meaning that Jane couldn’t understand a damned word he said. Still, from what she could understand, it seemed like he had the foundations of a plan beginning in that mind of his.

Recruiting Mordin proved to be useful. If it wasn’t for his help, they wouldn’t have made it as far on Horizon as they did. However, the victory was short-lived when Jane found herself face to face with her former squad member, Ashley Williams.

It thrilled Jane to see Ashley, but it wasn’t mutual. She refused to listen to a thing Jane said, and she couldn’t blame her. Ashley was a good soldier going with her gut. If your previously dead commander showed up after two years working with a group as extreme as Cerberus then you’d hesitate too.

No one dared to ask about the encounter back on the Normandy — with the exception being Garrus, of course. He disregarded her sour mood and went straight to (gently) pressing the issue. All Jane could think was that the Turian sure had an enormous set of Krogan balls on him.

“I take it, that’s where you took the surname Williams,” Garrus said unprompted.

She nodded. “It was the best I could do. It was Williams or Urdnot, and I don’t think you’d buy it if I had a Krogan clan name.”

“You never know, Shepard. Sometimes you remind me of a Krogan,” he teased. “Besides, didn’t you say you travelled with one?”

Jane smirked as Wrex entered her mind. “Urdnot Wrex. Crazy son of a bitch, but he’s like a brother to me.”

Despite Jane’s unwillingness to discuss her past with Ashley, she told Garrus some stories of their time together on the first Normandy. She grew quiet when touching the subject of whether to save Kaidan or Ashley.

If there was anyone who understood losing a team member you felt responsible, then it was Garrus. Losing his team was still fresh. He didn’t let it show when he thought people were looking, but Jane knew that was sadness in his eyes.

If she thought about it, losing Kaidan was still fresh in her mind. Two years might’ve passed, but for Jane it felt like it had just happened. It was yet another thing to thank Cerberus for.

She didn’t trust Cerberus as far as she could throw them. They may have been working together for now, but Jane knew she had to keep one eye open. By the time they recruited Jack, she kept both eyes open.

The Normandy team continued to grow. Jane recruited every dossier that got thrown her way, wanting to be as prepared as possible for the upcoming fight. When she recruited Tali, Jane felt relieved. There were so few people on this ship she trusted. Jane needed as many allies as she could get.

At the top of the list was Joker, followed by Garrus, Karin, and Tali. The rest of the crew was growing on her. Jane had to admit that to at least herself. No point in going on a mission that forced you to risk your life if you didn’t trust the people following you.

Jane did what she could to make her crew comfortable. She had no problem with finding time to help them figure out the conflicts in their life before jumping onto what was essentially a suicide mission. When Garrus finally asked for Jane’s help, she wasn’t shocked it had to do with Sidonus.

Since traveling with her on the Normandy, he had often discussed finding Sidonus again and making him pay for betraying their team. Jane knew a little of what happened that day. She hadn’t asked him for many details, for fear of upsetting him.

During her time working with Garrus’s team, Jane had gotten to know every one of the,. She hadn’t spoken often with Sidonus often, but he seemed like a nice man. For him to up and betray everyone there must’ve been some reason. The problem was Jane wasn’t sure why that was, and without proof she would not bring it up to Garrus. In his quest for revenge, it would not deter him — even by her.

Jane hadn’t known Garrus for very long, but during their search for Sidonus he didn’t seem like himself. She wasn’t a saint and had done things in her past she was ashamed of. However, it still seemed out of character for Garrus.

It was difficult to get through to Garrus. He had his mind set on finding Sidonus, and that was it. Once he had finally been located, Jane knew she had to act fast. Garrus was ready with his sniper rifle. One wrong move and Sidonus would be dead.

Jane eyed Sidonus, refusing to move despite Garrus’s insistence she was in the way of his shot.

“Listen, Sidonus. I’m here to help you.”

He flinched. “Never say that name out loud,” he hissed. “Is Garrus with you?

She continued, undeterred by his words. “Listen, I know we’re not friends, but I want to help you. Garrus wants you dead, and I’m hoping that isn’t necessary.”

“So he is with you? Shit, I knew it. I’m not sticking around here to talk to either of you. Just tell Garrus I had my own problems.”

He turned to leave, but Jane was quick. “Don’t fucking move. I am the only thing standing between you and a hole in the head.”

Sidonus muttered something under his breath, hanging his head in defeat. “Look, I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t have a choice. They got to me and said they’d kill me if I didn’t help. What was I supposed to do?”

In her ear, Garrus was telling Jane to move so he could take the shot. She resisted, confident what Sidonus was saying was the truth.

“That’s it? You were just trying to save yourself?”

“I know what I did. I know they died because of me and I have to live with that,” he whispered. “I wake up every night sick and sweating. Each of their faces staring at me… accusing me. I’m already a dead man. I don’t sleep, food has no taste. Some days I just want it to be over.”

Jane stayed in position and frowned. “You’ve got to let it go, Garrus. He’s already paid for his crime.”

“He hasn’t paid enough, Shepard. He still has his life,” Garrus muttered through the headpiece.

She shook her head. “Come on and really look at him, Garrus. He’s not alive. There’s nothing left to kill.”

When Garrus relented, Jane breathed a sigh of relief. She motioned for Sidonus to go, in disbelief that it even worked. Jane wasn’t sure if she would’ve been able to talk Garrus into letting him go.

Jane always figured there was more to Sidonus’s betrayal than met the eye. No one could fault him for saving himself — even if it was the more selfish option. Besides, Jane could see how haunted Sidonus looked. He would suffer from his actions for a long time.

Once Jane regrouped with Garrus, there was a tension in the air. She frowned, about to speak, but Garrus beat her to it.

“Let’s just leave it for now, Shepard,” Garrus said, sounding more tired than she had ever heard him. “We can talk about it when we get back to Normandy. I… just need some time.”

“Say no more big guy. I understand.”

She busied herself until Garrus sent a message. He said he was ready to talk if she wanted. To be honest, Jane had been ready since before they left the Citadel.

Since inviting him to stay on the Normandy, Garrus had claimed the Gun Battery as his. He had a cot along with some of his things in the corner, much to her amusement. Jane didn’t care where he stayed, so long as he was comfortable.

“How are you doing, Vakarian?” Jane asked once she entered the battery.

It was one of those stupid, pointless questions everyone always insisted on asking whenever some bad happened. Jane inwardly cursed herself for asking such a foolish thing, but she felt at a loss of words. What the hell was she supposed to say to Garrus at a time like this, anyway?

Garrus stopped with his tinkering and let out a heavy, tired sounding sigh. “I’m not angry at you, Jane. I was letting revenge cloud my mind, so I thank you for snapping me out of it.”

“I want you to know I wasn’t trying to decide for you. I… just know what it’s like to take revenge one someone who has wronged you. It usually makes things worse.”

He chuckled weakly. “You must tell me about that sometime.”

“If we survive this thing, I definitely will.”

They all joked about it, but the odds were against them. Jane was ready to die in their attempt to stop the collectors from attacking human colonies. If they made it… well Jane had many people to make up for lost time with.

The night before they were going into the collector relay, Jane showed up in the crew area with some liquor safe for all species. She figured the best time to get drunk was right before heading out on a suicide mission to save the rest of the crew.

It was a somber affair, with most bowing out as the hours ticked on. Eventually it was just Garrus, Jane, and Joker. They traded stories and jabs at each other. It helped keep Jane’s nerves at bay, making her ready for the battle ahead.

“I think I’m going to get some rest, Commander,” Joker muttered at some point. “We might all die tomorrow, so I’ll need all the rest I can get.”

Jane nodded. “See you in a few, Joker.”

Then it was just Garrus and Jane. She eyed the last bit of alcohol, wondering if she should forgo it or just through caution to the wind and down it like Jane had the rest of her drinks.

“Shepard, if you don’t drink it I will,” Garrus warned playfully.

She grinned. “How about we split it?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Once they finished the last of their drinks, it left them with nothing else to do but call it a night. Jane was hesitant to do so because ending it meant she had to face yet another death defying mission. Perhaps if Jane had survived being spaced, they would survive infiltrating the Collector base.

Jane stood up from the table, pausing before she walked to the elevators.

“I’ll see you soon, Vakarian. Try to get some rest.”

Garrus eyed Jane. “If anyone needs rest, Shepard, it’s you. I see how hard you’re pushing yourself and the crew needs you to take care of yourself and be okay. I need you to be okay.”

The words Jane wanted to say got caught in her throat. All she could do was nod and blink back the tears. She didn’t know why those words hit her so hard. Perhaps it had something to do with everyone always thinking that the infamous Commander Shepard was more than human. It had been a long time since someone saw past that exterior. It left Jane feeling overwhelmed, but cared for.

Jane could sleep soundly that night. She wasn’t sure how she managed it with such a threat looming over her head. When Jane awoke, she dressed and met with the team. They argued some at the start, but soon came up with a plan Jane felt would cause all of them having a chance at making it out of there alive.

Fighting through the Collector base was brutal. They saved their stolen crew members and stuck it to the Illusive Man. Jane didn’t hesitate in destroying the base. Something like this shouldn’t exist. It could be used against the Milky Way galaxy, and Jane hadn’t done all of this just to put the galaxy in jeopardy again.

Once back on the Normandy, Jane leaned against the wall of the ship and let the exhaustion finally hit her. The rest of the crew seemed to have similar reactions. Who could blame them after what they just survived?

“You okay there, Shepard?” Garrus asked, breaking Jane out of her thoughts.

She flashed him a genuine smile. “I could ask the same thing of you, Vakarian.”

Their banter didn’t go unnoticed. Joker was the first to react, clearing his throat and giving them both a look.

“Hey Commander, should we leave the two of you alone? Don’t want to intrude on your weird flirting habits.”

Jane rolled her eyes. “Says the man flirting with a bodiless AI — no offense, EDI.”

“None taken, Commander,” EDI said immediately. “You have made a correct assessment in Jeff's and I’s relationship.”

“Not helping, EDI,” Joker sputtered.

She watched him limp off after that comment and struggled to contain her laughter. Joker couldn’t have been farther off with her and Garrus’s relationship, but it brought her some amusement.

The two of them were friends. Besides, Jane doubted Garrus was interested in a human. He’d never expressed an interest in one.

For her own feelings, Jane had to admit that there was something, but the second she recognized familiar fluttering in the pit of her stomach she put a stop to it. The last time Jane had let her feelings get the better of her was with Kaidan. Nothing good came of falling for another crew member — especially if they stacked the odds of survival against you.

They may have stopped the Collectors, but Jane knew the Reaper threat continued to hang over the entire Milky Way. It was only a matter of time before they ended up like the Protheans. Forgotten with nothing but remnants of their history scattered across the galaxy.

“Don’t you humans have a saying about living in the moment?” Garrus asked, once again breaking Jane out of her thoughts.

She nodded. “Yes. Is there a reason you’re asking?”

“I can practically hear your thoughts, Jane. Try to enjoy the victory and worry about everything tomorrow.”

Jane blinked, unsure of what to say. Why was it that Garrus always rendered her speechless? Damned Turian had a gift because very few people could do that to Jane.

“I’ll have an easier time of trying if you keep reminding me,” Jane teased.

He chuckled. “You don’t have to ask.”

When her stomach did a flip-flop, Jane cursed herself. This thing growing between her and Garrus was terrifying, but also exciting — much to her dismay. She would keep reminding herself of what happened with Kaidan if only to save her from future heartbreak.

“Shepard, you’re doing it again, aren’t you?” Garrus asked, making this the third time he had pulled Jane from her thoughts.

She playfully scowled. “Get out of my head, Vakarian.”

Because of Garrus’s consistent intervention, Jane managed not to get lost in her thoughts again. She let herself embrace their victory until an urgent and surprising communication arrived from Admiral Hackett that night. It forced Jane back to reality at surprising speed.

There were so many reasons Jane should refuse the message, but the Alliance had been a part of her since she enlisted at eighteen. They were the closest thing she had to a family until becoming Commander of the Normandy.

Despite Jane’s reservations, she agreed to take the message in her quarters, as per Hackett’s request to discuss this privately.

“Commander, thank you for your time. I’ll keep this brief. We have a deep-cover operative out in Batarian space. Name’s Doctor Amanda Kenson. Dr. Kenson recently reported that she found evidence of an imminent Reaper invasion.”

Jane huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “So why call me? I thought I wasn’t part of the Alliance anymore?”

Hackett continued, seemingly undeterred by her outburst. “Just this morning I received word that the Batarians arrested her. They’re holding her in a secret prison outpost on terrorism charges. I need you to infiltrate the prison and get her out of there. As a favor to me, I’m asking you to go in alone.”

Well, shit. Hackett had an enormous pair of Krogan balls on him to ask such a favor. She mulled it over, cursing her inner soldier, ready to jump at Hackett’s request.

“Fine. I give you my word that I’ll make this my top priority.”

He nodded. “Thank you, Shepard. The prison is hidden underground at a Batarian outpost on Aratoht. I’ll upload the coordinates now. Once she’s secure, confirm her discovery. We’ll debrief when you’re back.”

“I understand, sir.”

“Hackett out.”

The feed cut off, leaving Jane with mixed feelings. She contacted EDI, telling her to prepare a shuttle for her departure. This left Jane with telling the crew that she would head out ASAP.

Jane hated going alone. There was always more danger in being on a mission alone. It was always to be avoided unless there was no choice. Sometimes a mission called for only one person. However, this didn’t make Jane feel any better about the situation.

The crew acted as she expected. Some accepted it, while others were dubious about the mission. Garrus was quiet during the announcement, much to the dismay of Jane. She wished he would say something — anything. The silence was uncomfortable and not something Jane knew how to deal with.

“Are you really going to do this, Shepard?” Garrus asked once they were alone. “I don’t like the sound of this mission at all.”

She sighed. “You and me both, Garrus, but Hackett wouldn’t have reached out to me unless he was desperate.”

“That’s what worries me.”

Garrus didn’t mince words when he told her this. The thing was, Jane agreed with him completely. She felt uneasy about the whole thing. Whenever the Reapers got involved trouble followed.

“I’ll be back before you know it, Vakarian. Don’t worry about me.”

When Jane woke up two days later, she realized she was going to have to eat those words. However, the time for regret was if or when she got back to the Normandy.

It was no simple task. Jane ended up faced with a task that would risk lives either way. In order to buy the Milky Way some time to prepare, she decided the best course of action was to destroy the mass relay. This was not a simple decision. Thousands upon thousands of Batarian lives would be at risk, despite her warning to them to flee.

By the time Jane contacted Joker to come get her, she felt exhausted and numb. Jane ignored the looks of the crew, going right up to her quarters.

“EDI lock the elevator to this floor and then contact Admiral Hackett,” Jane ordered.

“Understood Commander.”

Contacting Admiral Hackett about what happened was one of the hardest calls Jane had to make in her entire career. She stood there, arms clasped behind her as she went over what happened during her attempt to find Dr. Kenson.

The result was Jane agreeing to return to the Citadel and turn herself over to the Alliance. It was the only way to prevent a galactic incident. Jane had long since put her prejudice of the Batarians long behind her. However, the Milky Way would only see it is the Butcher of Torfan once again getting her revenge.

It would take a couple days to get to Citadel where they would then send her to Earth. In the meantime, Jane would explain everything to her crew and hope they understood.

“Commander, the crew is eager to discuss your sudden return. Should I continue to deny them access to your quarters?” EDI asked completely unprompted.

Jane sighed. “Tell them I’ll be down in five.”

“Understood Commander.”

The discussion went, and one would expect. Jane remained calm throughout the entirety of it. Towards the end, Jane noticed Garrus looking at her with an almost sour expression on her face — well, that’s what she suspected. Jane still couldn’t read Turian's facial expressions.

“I get it, Vakarian,” she muttered. “You don’t have to give me the ‘I told you so’ look.”

He scoffed, waiting for the last of the crew to depart from the room before speaking. “I think I do, Shepard. We heard nothing from you for two damned days. Do you know how worried we all were? How worried I was?”

Those pesky feelings made themselves known the moment Garrus spoke those words. She clamped down on them, refusing to give them time to grow and prosper.

“Look on the bright side; death doesn’t want me,” Jane joked, wincing when Garrus’s eyes narrowed. “I should’ve taken someone with me, Big Guy, but what’s done is done. Let’s just enjoy the fact that the both of us are still kicking.”

Garrus sighed, reluctantly nodding. “Well, you said death doesn’t want you, Shepard, so it’s no surprise you lived.”

“Ass,” Jane muttered, giving him a playful grin.

After a quick discussion, they parted. Garrus went back to the battery and Jane walked out towards the command center. She didn’t get far because when she walked out the door; she found Joker leaning against the wall, eavesdropping.

“Can I help you, Joker?”

He yelped, nearly knocking his hat off while shifting to a standing position. “No, I’m good, Commander. Fantastic. Just… casually hanging out near the doorway. You know how I am.”

Jane had to snort. The attempt from Joker to pretend he wasn’t eavesdropping was just too hilarious to ignore.

“Yeah, you totally weren’t eavesdropping,” Jane said. “Mind telling me why you were so interested in my conversation with Garrus?”

Joker smiled, nervously rubbing at the back of his neck. “See, the crew has this bet going on how long it will take you and Garrus to do the interspecies tongue tango. I have a lot of money riding on today so… I wanted to see how much I might lose.”

She blinked slowly, her brain struggling to process the words that came out of Joker’s mouth. “Joker, did you actually just use the words interspecies tongue tango?”

“Well, yeah, Shepard,” he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I mean, everyone can see it, Commander. EDI even joined in on the bet.”

All Jane could do was shake her head. “Ignoring the fact that you are all completely wrong, my personal life isn’t up for discussion or betting. Understood Joker?”

He winced. “Yes, Commander. Can I just say one thing before you threaten to jettison me off the ship?”

Reluctantly, Jane agreed. She knew she’d probably regret the decision, but attempting to silence Joker never ended well. Knowing the pilot, he’d probably blurt it out, eventually.

“Mr. I’m always Calibrating wants to partake in the inter-”

“Joker, finish that sentence and I will throw you out of this ship myself,” Jane interrupted.

He nodded, walking back towards the cockpit. Jane watched him leave with a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. Despite the humor in Joker’s words, there was some truth to them. Jane felt something for Garrus, and if what Joker said was correct, he returned those feelings.

After a rest, Jane planned to go to the battery to talk to Garrus. However, he surprised her by showing up at her quarters.

“Commander, Mr. Vakarian is outside. Should I let him in?”

Jane blinked. “Uh, yeah, EDI let him in.”

She smiled at Garrus as he walked in. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this sudden visit, big guy?”

“I was hoping we could speak, Jane. Is this a bad time?” Garrus asked, appearing to have a nervous demeanor suddenly.

Jane shook her head. “Now is as good a time as any. Once I turn myself in I doubt I’ll be able to get in contact with anyone who isn’t Alliance brass.”

“Shepard, if you hadn’t intervened, we wouldn’t have more time to prepare for the Reapers,” Garrus rightly pointed out.

This made Jane huff. “Sure and watch everyone ignore my warnings again.”

“Well, I wasn’t there, but I believe you.”

Jane’s face twisted slowly into a smile. He didn’t know it, but those words meant a lot to Jane. It was nice to not have someone dismiss her claims about the Reapers for once. Now, if only the higher ups could listen, then the Milky Way might have an actual chance.

“You wanted to talk about something?” Jane asked, eager to change the subject.

“I just wanted to thank you for everything,” he said, easily meeting Jane’s gaze.

Jane felt sheepish, a feeling that rarely came over her. Leave it to Garrus to yet again cause her to feel a rare emotion.

“So any plans of what you’re going to do once we dock at the citadel?”

He nodded. “I’ll be going back to Palaven, actually. It’s… about time I did and with the Reaper threat approaching, I need to get my people to prepare.”

“I’m glad you’re going back, Garrus. Despite the circumstances,” Jane insisted. “Is that all you wanted to speak with me about?”

The air shifted again. Garrus seemed nervous, embarrassed even. Jane didn’t really know what to make of it, but she had to push the issue to figure out what the hell was going on with him.

“Garrus, what’s going on?” she asked. “And don’t tell me it’s nothing. You have something on your mind.”

Garrus shifted. “I… wanted to make what Joker called ‘a move’ but I’m not completely sure how human courting is supposed to work. Joker explained some things, but only half of it made sense.”

“No wonder you're confused, big guy. You asked Joker for romance advice,” she muttered.

Inside, Jane was giddy despite her attempts to continue to squash down those feelings. Garrus clearly felt the same way she did about him, which she never considered could be a factor. If only the timing wasn’t so shitty.

“I don’t mind learning if you're willing to teach,” Garrus lightly teased.

The impending arrest Jane was facing loomed over them, but for now she just wanted to enjoy the short time she had with Garrus. She could figure everything else out in due time… provided they survived the incoming Reaper threat.

She had survived being spaced, and Sovereign, so anything was possible. Like she joked earlier, Death didn’t seem to want Jane. It kept throwing her back every time she got close.

Jane grinned. “I’d love to teach you, Vakarian. We don’t exactly have a lot of time, but I can give you a few pointers. Of course, I’ll need you to do the same for Turian courting rituals.”

“Will do, Shepard.”


End file.
